Opinions

Biased, Banal, Callous: Calling Out The Propaganda Of The British Goebbels

January 22, 2023
Anand Krishna

A lie told once remains a lie but a lie told a thousand times becomes the truth

– Joseph Goebbels

UK’s national broadcaster BBC aired a two-part series attacking PM Narendra Modi’s tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister during the Gujarat riots of 2002. The documentary has sparked outrage from several corners claiming it to be well crafted piece of propaganda. Even prominent Indian-origin UK citizens condemned the series. Prominent UK Citizen Lord Rami Ranger said the “BBC caused a great deal of hurt to over a billion Indians.”

So, why is the BBC trying to beat a dead horse again? Is it to discredit India, Modi, Hindus or their own Hindu Prime Minister?  

A Failed Propaganda At Best

Post the release of documentary, India denounced the controversial BBC documentary series on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and described it as a “propaganda piece” that is designed to push a discredited narrative. Addressing a weekly media briefing External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi said this documentary show, based on some internal UK report, shows the colonial mindset. “We think this is a propaganda piece designed to push a particular discredited narrative. The bias and the lack of objectivity and frankly continuing colonial mindset are belatedly visible,” Bagchi said in response to the question on the PM documentary series. The MEA spokesperson said the documentary is a reflection of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and individuals that are peddling this narrative again. He even raised questions on “the purpose of the exercise and the agenda behind it.” Referring to apparent remarks made by former UK Secretary Jack Straw in the documentary series, Bagchi said “He (Jack Straw) seems to be referring to some internal UK report. How do I have access to that? It’s a 20-year-old report. Why would we jump on it now? Just because Jack says it how do they lend it that much legitimacy.” 

Jack Straw himself has been accused of peddling lies about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction which ultimately resulted in regime change and carnage.

The fun fact in this context is that even the British PM has denounced the documentary which had targeted PM Modi. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak dismissed the villainous portrayal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a BBC documentary. Responding to Imran Hussain, a Pakistani-British Muslim MP, who quoted the characterization showcased by BBC in its documentary series while asking a question to the British PM in the British parliament, the PM said that he does not agree with the characterization of his Indian counterpart in the documentary.

The Nefarious Agenda

It is notable that several courts in India including the Supreme Court have ruled on multiple occasions that the Gujarat riots were brought under control quickly and there is no evidence that the state govt had asked police to not take action against the rioters. But still the BBC carries on with its propaganda. The documentary falls flats on its face as it not only insults the two times democratically elected Prime Minister of the largest democracy in the world but also the judiciary and Parliament, which investigated Mr Modi rigorously, and exonerated him from being involved in the riots in any way.

Also, the documentary focuses on interviews of just one set of people who have been accused of crimes ranging from fund embezzlement to fabricating evidences – RB Sreekumar, Teesta Setalvad, Sanjiv Bhatt and so on.

By not presenting the views of the courts, the investigating agencies and the fact that PM Modi has been given a clean chit both by the SIT and the courts, the BBC has violated its own charter of editorial integrity.

Not just that, the documentary has blatantly abused institutions of democracy in India and also has opened old wounds by creating hatred between Hindus and Muslims by attempting to paint India as an intolerant nation where Muslims are persecuted. But the BBC, who enthusiastically makes documentary discrediting PM Modi will think twice before making documentary on the famine in Bengal caused by Britain or the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

The BBC Shamelessly Whitewashes The Role Of Islamists In Riots

The documentary by BBC has followed a pattern of utter indecency. It not only tries to blame Hindus of India for causing the 2002 riots, but also tries to exonerate and whitewash the role of Islamist in causing the riot. 

At about 9:12 minutes into the programme, it claimed, “The final death toll was 59 and the cause of the fire was disputed. But at the time, Muslims were blamed.” Former BBC reporter Jill McGivering was then brought in to further lend credence to the insinuation. “This is in a State that has a particular history of tensions between the Hindu majority and the Muslim minority. There is a history of communal violence, nasty violence,” she was heard saying. “And the concern was something like this happens, the Hindu community will feel angered that their community has been targeted,” McGivering further added while she tried to portray Narendra Modi as a Hindu hardliner who avenged the riots. But by doing so, the BBC nullified the role of the extremists who set the Sabarmati express on fire, which is not disputed in any sense. 

The truth is that on 27th February 2002, the Sabarmati express was scheduled to reach Godhra station at about 3:30 am. On that day, the train was running four hours late. As such, it arrived at Godhra by 7:40 am. 8 minutes later, a mob of 2000 Islamists set 59 Hindus, including 25 women and 15 children, in the coach S6 of the train on fire in Godhra’s predominantly Muslim area, Signal Falia. Many evidences point to this fact but the BBC seems to be blind about it. 31 Islamists were found guilty of the Godhra massacre on February 22, 2011, by the trial court (with only 11 receiving the death penalty and 20 receiving life in prison), and all 31 convictions were affirmed by the Gujarat High Court in October 2017, resulting in everyone receiving a life sentence. Prior to that, based on the testimony of witnesses and survivors, it was obvious to anybody with even iota of intellectual integrity that Muslims had set the train on fire. The Godhra massacre is the clearest illustration of the ruthless inhumanity of Islamists, as seen by their sympathy for vile criminals, their blame of innocent victims. Thus, the documentary by the BBC is the latest attempt to create an atmosphere of communal unrest in the country by disputing well-established facts via propaganda.

But Why?

But what is the purpose of this propaganda? And why is it being released now? – in 2023. It is said that people tend to believe lies as truths if they are confident in themselves to distinguish between both and the timing of the documentary, just a year before Lok Sabha elections tell volumes about the intention behind release of the documentary. It is now clear that the ‘bugle; has been sounded by the so called ‘woke left’ against the Modi government in an apparent bid to influence election results of 2024. In this context one can expect more synchronised campaigns from New York Times, Washington Post and Al Jazeera. BBC documentary might’ve just started what will be a concerted effort by ‘left-liberal’ media to tarnish Modi government. The ‘Left-Liberal’ media will try again, they have tried with ‘Hashtag-toolkit’ to create unrest in India during farm riots and republic day (Greta and Khalistani tool kit), they had lobbied NGOs to release reports tarnishing India (Reporters without borders, Oxfam etc), they had also tried to hate and make other people hate anything that gives pride to Indians. As citizens of this great nation, we must not fall prey to this propaganda and as intelligent human beings we must expose these sinister people at every chance we get. With confidence we must tell to these ‘left-liberal propagandists’ together that- we are not slaves to your propaganda. 

And lastly, India doesn’t need the erstwhile butchers of nations lecture on human rights to the leader of a peaceful, pluralistic, politically stable, fastest growing economic power.

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